Museum Studies Internship Program

June 9, 2008 - August 8, 2008

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a leader in the training and mentoring of young museum professionals and future museum colleagues. The Museum Studies Internship Program provides interns with exposure to the inner workings of a major metropolitan museum, promoting an awareness of museum careers through experiences not available in most academic settings. The Museum selects a diverse group of talented undergraduate and graduate students from a highly competitive regional, national and international pool of candidates.

The Museum Studies Internship Program offers internships each summer to qualified students who have completed at least their sophomore year of college by the spring of 2008 and have maintained a 3.0 grade point average. The program runs Monday through Friday for nine weeks. Interns work in their departmental placements for three and one-half days per week. The rest of the week, they participate in a Museum Studies course which includes collection tours with curators, departmental orientations, field trips, and seminars.

Interns are placed according to departmental needs that vary from year to year. In past summers, placements have included the following departments: Development, External Affairs, Library, Marketing and Public Relations, Registrar, American Art, East Asian Art, Costume and Textiles, European Painting, Indian and Himalayan Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, and Prints, Drawings and Photographs. Education placements are made in two divisions: public programs for adults and college students or programs for youth and family. Recent project descriptions are listed on this web site.

The Museum encourages students from all backgrounds to apply and is dedicated to a culturally diverse internship group. Please note: Students are responsible for making their own housing arrangements.

All applicants must submit the following materials: application; official academic transcript; two letters of recommendation from college professors; resume; and a one page essay describing the candidate's interest in the internship, skills that would contribute to the program, and career goals. All materials need to be received by February 1, 2008. Applications will be reviewed by the Summer Internship Advisory Committee. Finalists selected will be invited for interviews in person or by telephone. Applicants accepted will be notified by April 15, 2008.

Download a Copy of the Application

View and print the Museum Studies Internship Program application.

If you are unable to download the application, contact and request that it be sent to you via regular mail.

Diversity Internship Program

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in partnership with the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations has created The Diversity Internship Program to introduce students to professional opportunities in museums with the goal of increasing the diversity of professional employees throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

Two student internships will be funded at the Philadelphia Museum through this program.

Students who are interested in applying for these stipends should visit the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Internship Program website: http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/doh/internship/internship.asp

For more information, please contact the Museum Studies Internship Program by phone at (215) 684-7397, by fax at (215) 236-4063, or by e-mail at .